Fuel scarcity: FG warns petrol retailers against Illegal sales

The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has issued a stern warning to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) retailers against the illegal sale of fuel, as the scarcity persists in Abuja and nearby Nasarawa and Niger states.

In a statement posted on its official X account, NMDPRA urged fuel stations to refrain from selling petrol to black marketers, warning that failure to comply could result in the suspension of their retail licenses.

“NMDPRA embarks on a war against the illegal sale of petroleum products, especially PMS in jerrycans. Filling stations are advised to desist from servicing illegal peddlers, failure to do so would result in the suspension of retail licenses,” the statement read.

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The warning comes as fuel scarcity deepens in the Federal Capital Territory. Checks on Friday revealed that most filling stations were not dispensing fuel, with only a few, such as Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) outlets along Kubwa Expressway, open for business, leading to long queues.

Two weeks ago, NNPCL attributed the scarcity to issues in the discharge operations of a few vessels, according to a statement by its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye. Despite this, fuel scarcity continues to be a recurring issue with no permanent solution in sight.

Last month, Billy Gillis-Harry, President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association (PETROAN), called on the Nigerian government to establish a war council to address the ongoing fuel scarcity crisis.